Authorities in Hanoi are currently investigating a social media report that has sparked criticism regarding a casual eatery in Dong Da District, where they allegedly charged a customer VND160,000 (US$6.8) for a dish of rice, meat, and vegetables.

Bui Anh Dung, deputy chairman of Dong Da District’s Phuong Mai Ward, where the eatery in question is situated, told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper on Friday that the creator of the Facebook post was a woman named L.K.O. while the diner was a man known as L.Q.A..

As per the owners’ account obtained by Dung, the eatery, which advertised themselves as an "affordable food establishment," informed A. about the VND160,000 price of the meal while preparing the food for the man on Thursday.

“Feeling that the serving was a bit too excessive for him to consume, the customer negotiated with the eatery and reached a compromise of to reduce the portion to VND100,000 ($4.2),” Dung quoted the owners as saying.

“Subsequently, A. transferred VND100,000 to H., one of the shop owners, via a bank transaction.”

Dung underlined that the customer and owner have mutually agreed upon a purchase and sale arrangement where the customer made the payment prior to consuming the meal.

The meal containing boiled rice, grilled pork, chopped meat wrapped in betel leaves, and vegetables that was shared in a photo on Facebook.

According to the deputy chairman, while the law requires food service establishments to display prices, there are also certain restaurants where customers can choose the amount of food they wish to consume and pay accordingly, based on their agreement with the shop. 

“The eatery side also told us that they are unsure about the appropriate way to list the prices, given such an agreement-purchase model,” Dung said.

In response to this situation, Dung stated that the ward authorities will demand local food service establishments to not only reach agreements with customers but also maintain fairness, reasonableness, and compliance with market norms.

The deputy chairman added that the local authorities are making efforts to reach out in order to O. to listen to her, but so far, their attempts have been unsuccessful.

He further stressed that if any wrongdoing is identified, the authorities will handle it in strict compliance with the law.

Previously, in her Facebook post, O. accused that the eatery, located down Alley 4 on Phuong Mai Street in Phuong Mai Ward, overcharged customers VND160,000 for a serving of boiled rice, grilled pork, chopped meat wrapped in betel leaves, and vegetables. 

She attached a picture of the meal in the post, which immediately generated backlash against the eatery.

Bui Anh Dung, deputy chairman of Phuong Mai Ward in Dong Da District, Hanoi. Photo: Pham Tuan / Tuoi Tre

In response to Tuoi Tre’s inquiry on Friday morning, H., the restaurant owner, defended the pricing, asserting that the cost of the meal was not excessive and was deemed appropriate. 

According to an account provided by H.’s staff, after the customer placed an order for the serving, during the process of cutting the grilled pork, a staff member informed the customer that a greater quantity of the meat would result in a higher cost. 

Following the staff’s quotation of VND160,000, the customer took the serving to their table.

“At the table, the customer expressed discontent with the perceived high price and created a commotion, prompting the staff to remove a few pieces of meat and provide a revised quotation of VND100,000,” H. said. 

“It should be noted that the meal set consists of approximately 16-17 pieces of grilled meat, in addition to minced meat and vegetables, which are considered reasonably priced,” the shop owner stated.

Vietnam’s gross domestic product (GDP) per capita in 2022 was $4,163.5, according to the World Bank.

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